Tag: Chelsea

English Premier League club Chelsea says it is cooperating with FIFA investigation into possible violations of the global soccer governing body’s rules regarding the signing of foreign players under the age of 18.

Chelsea and four other unidentified Premier League clubs are under investigation by FIFA for the alleged violations and could face transfer bans if found guilty, according to multiple reports in the British media.

French investigative website Media part reported on Wednesday that FIFA’s Integrity and Compliance unit would seek to impose a two-year transfer ban on the clubs as well as a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs (382,323 pounds).

Media part is one of several media outlets publishing documents obtained by Football Leaks.

The Football Leaks documents were obtained by German publication Der Spiegel and reviewed by Reuters in partnership with European Investigative Collaborations, a network of international media.

Chelsea said in a statement on Wednesday that “the club has fully cooperated with FIFA and has provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable FIFA regulations”.

FIFA’s rules prohibit international transfers of players under the age of 18 unless their parents have emigrated for reasons unconnected to football or both player and club are based within 50 km of a national border.

Spanish clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have fallen foul of the rules in the past, with all three serving transfer bans for violations.

FIFA opened its investigation into the English clubs in September last year and said in a statement on Wednesday that it had not yet reached a decision.

France's midfielder N'Golo Kante gestures as he arrives in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on November 12, 2018, as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming Nations League football match against the Netherlands and a friendly football match against Uruguay.
FRANCK FIFE / AFP

France midfielder N’Golo Kante refused to have part of his Chelsea salary paid under advantageous tax terms in Jersey or to receive offshore payments for his image rights, according to a Football Leaks investigation published on Wednesday.

The report by French investigative site Mediapart says that six weeks before Kante left Leicester for Chelsea in 2016, a company called NK Promotions was registered in Jersey, in an apparent attempt to pay 10 percent of the players’ income abroad to avoid tax.

Mediapart was unsure whether the company was set up by Chelsea or Kante’s relatives.

At first, Kante’s lawyer suggested his client would “approve” the set-up, but last year the 27-year-old insisted through his tax advisor that he refused to take any offshore payments.

“N’Golo is inflexible, he simply wants a normal salary,” Kante’s tax advisor said in May 2017 in an email sent to Chelsea executives.

“After reading numerous press articles on image rights and tax investigations against players and clubs, N’Golo is increasingly concerned that the set-up proposed to him could be questioned by the tax authorities.

“N’Golo decided that he did not want to take any risks.”

Kante has become a fan favourite in England since winning a memorable Premier League title with Leicester in 2016, before lifting the trophy again the following season at Chelsea and being named PFA Player of the Year.

He also started all seven of France’s matches as his country won the World Cup in Russia this year.

Eden Hazard may be feeling the effects of a gruelling schedule but the Belgium midfielder has insisted he is still enjoying life at Chelsea.

The 27-year-old Hazard starred as Belgium finished an impressive third at this year’s World Cup in Russia and then played his part in helping Chelsea make an unbeaten 12-match start to the Premier League season with seven goals.

Hazard missed three games with a back injury but played a full 90 minutes for the first time since October 20 during a fractious goalless draw with Everton on Sunday.

By extending their unbeaten start to the season, the Blues were left in third place — four points behind leaders Manchester City and two adrift of second-placed Liverpool heading into the international break.

“Believe me, I am tired,” Hazard told talkSPORT radio on Monday. “But I think I’m in good condition to play.

“Last year I got an injury with my ankle for three months. So that’s why I’m fresh now.

“And when you are happy on the pitch you can try some things. I’m just enjoying myself,” he added, with Chelsea set to resume their league campaign against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on November 24.

Hazard’s contract expires in June 2020 and there has long been speculation over whether he will sign a new deal keeping him at Stamford Bridge or pursue a “dream” move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

“For the last seven years with Chelsea, I have always enjoyed myself,” said Hazard, who signed from French club Lille.

“When I am on the pitch I try to give happiness, first to me and then to the fans who are watching the game.

“At the moment, we are doing well and that’s why I am doing well. So I am happy to play at the moment.”

Fulham's Belgian defender Denis Odoi (L) slides in to tackle Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino (R) during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Fulham at Anfield in Liverpool, North West England on Sunday. AFP photo by Geoff Caddick.

Liverpool took advantage of Manchester City’s later kick-off against Manchester United on Sunday by beating Fulham 2-0 to move top of the Premier League, while Chelsea stumbled in a 0-0 draw with Everton.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea remain unbeaten in the league after 12 games, but Jurgen Klopp’s men now enjoy a two-point advantage over the Blues thanks to goals either side of half-time at Anfield from Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Liverpool also edge a point ahead of champions City, who could open a 12-point gap over their local rivals United with victory in the Manchester derby at the Etihad.

Despite a fine start to their league campaign, Liverpool’s chances of Champions League progress were put in peril by a shock 2-0 defeat to Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday.

Klopp’s side got back on track against rock bottom Fulham, who suffered a seventh straight defeat.

But Liverpool needed a huge slice of luck in 14 seconds that completely changed the game shortly before the break.

Aleksandar Mitrovic headed home for the visitors only to be wrongly ruled offside.

The hosts quickly broke upfield and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass freed Salah to score his eighth goal of the season.

“The most important thing is reacting in a situation like that and that was brilliant. Allison, Trent, Mo and done, it was a fantastic situation,” said Klopp

“Good routine. At the end we were a bit lucky.”

Under-pressure Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic described the situation as “absurd”.

“We didn’t defend well this counter-attack but this counter-attack shouldn’t exist. It’s a completely absurd situation we have to defend.”

Shaqiri hadn’t made the trip to Belgrade in midweek due to concerns over the hostile reception the Kosovo-born Swiss international would receive for his controversial goal celebration against Serbia at the World Cup.

But he showed why his guile and eye for goal was missed by turning home Andy Robertson’s cross eight minutes into the second-half.

At Stamford Bridge, Maurizio Sarri’s unbeaten start as Chelsea boss in all competitions stretched to 18 games, but the hosts couldn’t find a way past inspired England number one Jordan Pickford.

In keeping with Chelsea’s season so far, Eden Hazard was the major threat for the hosts, but Alvaro Morata failed to build on his double against Crystal Palace last weekend in a frustrating afternoon for the Spanish striker.

Pickford saved Morata’s best effort from Hazard’s inviting cross before the Belgian took centre-stage.

Twice he forced Pickford into flying saves, while Willian fired wide from Hazard’s pass that opened up the visitor’s defence.

But Everton stood firm and got the luck they needed when Marcos Alonso’s effort came back off the post to pick up a very creditable point.

Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is braced for a hostile reception when his old club Everton visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday, AFP reports.

Barkley left Everton to join Chelsea in January after 13 years at Goodison Park and this weekend faces the Toffees for the first time since that controversial move.

The 24-year-old did not play for Everton in the last seven months of his time on Merseyside due to a hamstring problem and eventually moved to Chelsea in a cut-price £15m ($19m) deal.

With his contract winding down, Barkley had initially been linked with Tottenham before the Chelsea switch and his desire to further his career away from Everton, combined with the protracted nature of the transfer, soured his time with Toffees fans.

Barkley expects those Everton supporters to make their feelings known when he comes face to face with them in west London, but although he admits it will be a “strange” experience he is determined not to be intimidated.

“I don’t think the reception will be the best,” Barkley told the Evening Standard.

“I’m not nervous, I’m excited to play against my former club and team-mates. I understand how some of them play, so that could be an advantage for me.

“On the day I might get a few nerves as it will feel a bit strange. I’m looking forward to catching up with some of the staff there who I used to get on really well with.”

After struggling to break into the Chelsea team under previous boss Antonio Conte last season, Barkley has impressed new manager Maurizio Sarri.

The England international has become a regular under Sarri, scoring three goals in his last five Chelsea appearances.

“I was approaching 25 and I felt looking back I could have improved a lot more (at Everton),” Barkley said.

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With his contract winding down, Barkley had initially been linked with Tottenham before the Chelsea switch and his desire to further his career away from Everton, combined with the protracted nature of the transfer, soured his time with Toffees fans.

Barkley expects those Everton supporters to make their feelings known when he comes face to face with them in west London, but although he admits it will be a “strange” experience he is determined not to be intimidated.

“I don’t think the reception will be the best,” Barkley told the Evening Standard.

“I’m not nervous, I’m excited to play against my former club and team-mates. I understand how some of them play, so that could be an advantage for me.

“On the day I might get a few nerves as it will feel a bit strange. I’m looking forward to catching up with some of the staff there who I used to get on really well with.”

After struggling to break into the Chelsea team under previous boss Antonio Conte last season, Barkley has impressed new manager Maurizio Sarri.

The England international has become a regular under Sarri, scoring three goals in his last five Chelsea appearances.

“I was approaching 25 and I felt looking back I could have improved a lot more (at Everton),” Barkley said.

Chelsea's French striker Olivier Giroud (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League group L football match between FC BATE Borisov and Chelsea FC in Borisov outside Minsk on November 8, 2018. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Chelsea booked their place in the Europa League knockout stage as Olivier Giroud’s first club goal of the campaign gave Maurizio Sarri’s men a 1-0 win at BATE Borisov, while Rangers lost a seven-goal thriller against Spartak Moscow.

Giroud ended his 11-game goal drought this season by giving Chelsea a 53rd-minute lead, and the Premier League giants held on despite BATE striking the woodwork three times in the match.

The Londoners moved six points clear of Hungarians Vidi at the Group L summit and remain unbeaten in 17 matches since losing the Community Shield to Manchester City in August.

BATE started strongly and came within a whisker of taking an early lead as former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb teed up Dmitri Baga for a long-range strike which crashed against Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s post.

The visitors quickly started to monopolise possession, but despite seeing over 70 percent of the ball in the first half, they failed to even manage a shot on target against a well-drilled BATE outfit.

But Sarri’s men were much improved after the break and Giroud, who also scored twice for Arsenal against BATE in the Europa League last term, broke the deadlock by meeting left-back Emerson’s cross with a firm downward header.

The hosts almost levelled just five minutes later, as they hit the woodwork for second time in the match when Nikolai Signevich diverted the ball onto the crossbar.

BATE coach Alyaksey Baha, the older brother of midfielder Dmitri, was left holding his head in his hands after Aleksey Rios blazed an even better chance to equalise over the bar.

There was still time for BATE to hit the post again, as right-back Rios’ brilliant dipping volley beat Kepa but bounced to safety.

– Gerrard finally beaten in Europe –

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers saw their 11-game unbeaten run in this year’s Europa League come to a dramatic end as they threw away the lead three times in a 4-3 defeat at Spartak Moscow.

Both sides were the beneficiaries of comical own goals in a crazy first half which ended with Glenn Middleton putting the Scots 3-2 ahead, but Luiz Adriano and Sofiane Hanni both scored in the space of 71 seconds to snatch Spartak victory.

Rangers are now level on points with Spartak in an incredibly tight Group G, one point behind leaders Villarreal after the Spaniards’ goalless draw with Rapid Vienna in Austria.

Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt qualified for the last 32 with their fourth win from as many group games by beating Apollon Limassol 3-2 in Cyprus, while Lazio joined them in progressing from Group H as goals from Marco Parolo and Joaquin Correa secured a 2-1 win over Marseille to eliminate last season’s runners-up.

Record five-time winners Sevilla needed a late penalty from Ever Banega to claim a 3-2 victory at Akhisar Belediyespor, after having a man sent off, losing a two-goal lead and seeing the Turks miss a spot-kick of their own.

Pablo Machin’s side are level with Krasnodar, who beat Standard Liege 2-1, at the top of Group J.

Maurizio Sarri has confirmed that Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater are not in his tactical plans this season, but added that he will rotate his team more during the frantic festive fixture schedule.

Moses established himself as a key figure at right wing-back under Antonio Conte, but Sarri’s arrival has seen Chelsea switch to a 4-3-3 formation and the Nigerian is once again battling for minutes on the wing with Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian.

Drinkwater, a £30m signing from Leicester City in the summer of 2017, has not featured in any competition for Chelsea since the Community Shield in August and Sarri suggested that the England international will not be playing for him any time soon.

“I think the situation is that Drinkwater for me is not suitable for a midfield with two other midfielders,” Sarri said. “I told him two months ago what I think.

“Moses is more suitable for playing wing-back than like a winger or a full-back, I think. I don’t know (if they have a future at Chelsea). They have to improve but their characteristics are a little bit different.”

Sarri has used just 19 different players in the Premier League this season – Wolves (17) are the only team to have fielded fewer — and several of the players on the fringes of Chelsea’s squad have publicly expressed frustration with their lack of minutes.

But as the domestic schedule intensifies in December, Sarri said he expects that situation to change.

“We have used 26 players in official matches [in all competitions] this season so the rotation at the moment is this, but I don’t know in the future,” he said.

“If you look only in the Premier League the situation is that, you are right [only used 19 players] but I have to look at all competitions: 90 minutes are 90 minutes. You have to look at the League Cup, Europa League and the national team.

“I have to look also to the minutes in the national teams. So I think the rotation is good.” Every moment was done only between the Europa League, League Cup and Premier League but in the future it will be different.

“If you look at December and January, you need to change also in the Premier League because we will play every three days in the Premier League. So we need to change in the Premier League.”

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Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri believes a maturing Alvaro Morata can be the free-scoring striker his side needs after scoring twice in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

However, the Italian called on Morata to keep improving physically, mentally and technically if his goals are to help Chelsea keep pace with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

After a fast start to his Chelsea career after a then club record £60 million move from Real Madrid last year, Morata had scored just twice in 20 Premier League games before netting in last month’s 3-0 win at Southampton.

But he now has four goals in as many league games after two fine finishes to twice give Chelsea the lead either side of half-time before Pedro Rodriguez sealed the three points to take Sarri’s men above Liverpool into second, two points behind City.

“He is a little bit fragile from the mental point of view, but he is very young I think he can improve very fast,” said Sarri.

“I think also Alvaro has a very great potential, physical potential, technical potential, so he has to improve more.”

Morata even had the chance for a hat-trick when put clean through by Eden Hazard in stoppage time, but failed to fool Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey with his attempted chip.

“I can score a hat-trick so it was not the perfect day but we will take the three points,” said Morata.

“When you have a bad period, it takes long to recover.

“Last year was difficult for me for many things. You don’t expect an injury but now I am good, it is nice to be scoring.”

– Hazard’s immediate impact –

Hazard was only fit enough for a place on the bench on his return from a back injury and his creative spark was badly missed as Chelsea laboured until his introduction just after the hour mark.

“I think it was really very important to have him on the bench,” added Sarri.

“We were lucky because immediately, in the first minute, I think he was able to change our match.

“Hazard is Hazard, he is able to do it very often.”

Chelsea took over half an hour to create anything of note, but Morata took the first opportunity to come his way.

The Spanish international showed a confidence that has been sorely lacking for the majority of his Chelsea career by deftly controlling Pedro’s cross before drilling the ball low past Hennessey.

Sarri is now unbeaten in his first 16 competitive games as Chelsea boss, but will know there is still plenty of room for improvement as a sleepy start to the second-half was punished in the 53rd minute.

David Luiz was caught ball watching and Townsend played a quick one-two with James McArthur before firing low past Kepa Arrizalabaga.